The Fifth Estate

In my last posting I made reference to the fourth estate - the media, and the important rôle it plays in functioning democracies. Like each of its counterparts - the legislature, the judiciary and the executive, it is important for a healthy democratic society that these remain distinct, in fact as well as in appearance. Few would debate the fact that we are a long way off from this ideal, currently, in Jersey. There is no clear separation of powers between the judiciary and the legislature, with the anachronistic throw back to feudalism that sees the Bailiff preside as Chair of the States Assembly, where he can silence elected members, interpret standing orders, rule questions and propositions out of order and in so doing influence which laws do or don't get passed (of course his decisions will be laid out by standing orders - but they, in turn, are open to interpretation: his interpretation...). He also sits in Judgement, just a few metres away on the laws which he oversaw being made...

But this is not the subject of this blog. There is something else in many (usually larger) democracies that exists, that serves to hold the government to account in its own unique, but highly effective way. Something that I like to call the fifth estate. I am talking about satire. Political satire, to be more precise.

I have always been an avid fan of satire, parody and, I admit it, the surreal and the absurd. There is something about these forms of comedy (perhaps comedy in general) that can say so much often with so few or no words; that can crystalise a truth in a way that hours of political/social analysis could not. One of the reasons for this is due to the fact that comedians have pretty much free reign to say what they want and the good ones are highly adept of finding the right word at the right time. This is in contrast to regular journalists, who have to be very careful about what they say, and how they say it.

But as well as being able to criticise politicians and so hold them to account, satire also has a cathartic effect on the viewer, providing a necessary break from the frustrations we all have with certain aspects of society, wherever we live. For me, few people do that better than David Mitchell (see David Mitchell's Soapbox)

It is perhaps not surprising that I have a particular penchant for political satire, so I was delighted last night when someone introduced me to the tranchant, subversive and - most importantly - hilarious antics of the political activist Mark Thomas. Like Michael Moore (though not taking himself so seriously), he combines radical (and courageous) activism with much needed comic relief. He concurrently stirs up indignance in the viewer and laughter, highlighting serious issues along the way.

I hope you enjoy these two videos as much as I did.

Mark Thomas Vs The MOD



Mark Thomas Vs. McDonalds